Sewing machines



M. R. KELEMENCKY SEWING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet.. 1

INVENTOR Monroe R. Kelemencky BY W7 ./m/ ATTORNEY Sept. 11, 1962 FiledJuly 24. 1959 WITNESS Sept. 11, 1962 M. R. Kl-:LEMENCKY SEWING MACHINES6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 24, i 1959 INVENTOR. Monroe R. Kelemencky BYl TToRWY WITNESS Sept. 11, 1962 M. R. KELEMENCKY SEWING MACHINES 6Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 24. 1959 INVENTOR.

Monroe R. Kelemencky AT ORA/'EY Filed July 24. 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 4INVENTOR.

WITNESS Monroe 'Rf Kelenf'encky Sept. 1l, 1962 M. R. KELEMENCKY3,053,204

SEWING MACHINES Filed July 24, 1959 e sheets-sheet 5 Fig. 6.

INVENT OR.

Monroe Kelmencky TORNEI Sept 11, 1962 M. R. KELEMENCKY 3,053,204

sEwNG MACHINES Filed July 24, 1959 6 Sheeizs--Shezerl 6 Fig. 9.

INVENTOR. Monroe R. Ke/emencky WITNESS W mi 2M/ United States PatentOiiiice 3,053,204 Patented Sept. 11, 1962 3,053,204 SEWING MACHINESMonroe R. Kelemenclry, Stepney, Conn., assignor to 'Ihe SingerManufacturing Company, Elizabeth, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey FiledJuly 24, 1959, Ser. No. 829,394 7 Claims. (Cl. 112-2) This inventionrelates to sewing machines and, more particularly, to a sewing and workfabric indexing unit for accomplishing automatically all like stitchingoperations on a garment or a garment panel.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved workindexing mechanism for advancing automatically a work fabric relativelyto a sewing machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a work indexing mechanismfor a Sewing machine which may be adapted readily and conveniently toadvance a work fabric either `from the right or the left hand side ofthe sewing machine, thus to accommodate, for instance, button and'buttonholing operations on either mens or womens garments which, as iswell known, traditionally button to the opposite hand.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a compensatingmechanism for a work indexing device that is driven by a sprocket chainfor the purpose of preventing endwise movement of the sprocket chainarising out of lateral movement of a portion of the sprocket chain withthe sewing machine work clamp.

With the above and other objects and advantages in View as willhereinafter appear, this invention comprises the devices, combinations,and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in heaccompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment in which:

PIG. 1 represents a side elevational view of a sewing unit having thisinvention applied thereto.

FIG. 2 represents a front elevational View of the seW- ing unit of FIG.l with portions of the guard plates broken away,

FIG. 3 represents a top plan view of the work indexing portion of thesewing unit of FIGS. 1 and 2, including a fragment of the sewing machinework clamp and with portions of the guard plates broken away,

rFIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially alongline 4--4 of FIG. 3 illustrating the sprockets and the motioncompensating mechanism therefor at one side of the work indexing unit,

iFIG. 5 represents an enlarged top plan view of the sprockets and motioncompensating mechanism at the right hand side of the work indexing unit,as viewed in FIG. 3, with the guard plates broken away,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional View of the sprockets and motioncompensating mechanism therefor taken substantially along line 6 6 ofFIG. 3,

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the means means connectingthe Work indexing mechanism with the sewing machine work clamp takensubstantially along line 7--7 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the work gripping meanstaken substantially along line 8-8 of FIG. 3, and

`IFIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the work gripping means,together with the work gripper release device, taken substantially alongline 9-9 of FIG. 3.

'Referring particularly to FIGS. l, 2 and 3, this invention isillustrated as applied to an automatic sequential buttonholing unit ofthe type `disclosed in the copending patent application of T. A. McGillet al., Serial No. 686,- 303, tiled September 26, 1957, now Patent No.2,989,- 013, granted June 20, 19611, to which reference may be had for acomplete understanding of the unit.

Indicated generally as 10 in the drawings, is a conventional buttonholesewing machine which, in addition to stitch forming instrumentalities,includes a work clamp 11 shiftable lengthwise of the sewing machineframe to provide the stitching along each side of the buttonhole, stopmotion mechanism 12 for starting and automatically stopping the sewingmachine when the buttonhole stitching is completed, and an electricdriving motor 13.

The sewing machine is carried atop a cabinet 14 within which is housedthe sewing machine driving motor 13 and the work indexing mechanism bywhich a work fabric may be transported relatively to the sewing machinehetween successive buttonhole sewing cycles to position the buttonholesin a predetermined spaced relatinoship in the garment.

Brieiiy, the work indexing mechanism involves the use of a carriage 15slidable vertically between guide rails 16 arranged in the cabinet. Achain 17 secured to the carriage is fast at one end to a sprocket wheel18 lby which the carriage 1S is moved downwardly in predeterminedincrements. At the other end, the chain 17 carries a counterweight 19guided in a tube 20 for returning the carriage when the sprocket wheel18 is released for retrograde movement.

:Associated with the sprocket wheel 18 is an electric clutch 21 tocontrol retrograde movement of the sprocket wheel, and a one-way oroverrunning clutch 22 by which the sprocket wheel is driven to space`adjacent rbuttonholes. The overrunning clutch 22 is actuated by a link23 connected to an indexing lever 24 having thereon a cam follower 25which tracks an indexing cam 26 carried on a cam shaft 27 journaled inthe cabinet 14. The cam shaft 27 is operated by means of aone-revolution clutch (not shown) from a `continuously running drivemotor 28. `In addition to the indexing cam 26, the cam shaft 27 carriesother cams (not shown), one for shifting the sewing machine stop motionmechanism 12 into running position when indexing has been completed, andanother for opening and closing the sewing machine work clamp 11 by Wayof a cable 29.

(The specific means by which sequential operation of the sewing machineand of the indexing mechanism is attained is disclosed in detail in theabove referenced McGill et al. patent application. `It will besufficient for an understanding of this invention to have in mind thatfrom a raised starting position of the work indexing carriage 115, asillustrated in FIG. 2, depression of a start button 30 by the operatorwill initiate operation of the sewing machine. Automatic stopping of thesewing mamachine will trip the one-revolution clutch on the cam shaft 27so that the Work indexing carriage will be shifted downwardly oneincrement at completion of which the sewing machine will again berestarted. This alternate sewing and indexing will continue until apredetermined number of sewing operations have been completed at whichtime the electric clutch 21 will be released freeing the chain 17 andcarriage 15 for return 3 t starting position under the influence of thecounterweight 19.

In order to index a garment or fabric panel in a horizontal planetransversely across the sewing machine, that is, perpendicular to thedirection of movement of the sewing machine work clamp, so that thebuttonholes will be produced perpendicular to an edge of the garment, asis common in sport garments, etc., a link chain 40` is provided. Thechain is secured at one extremity to the carriage 15 of the workindexing device, directed to the sprocket wheels 41, 42, and 43 at oneside of the sewing machine, wheels 44, 45, and 46 at the other side ofthe sewing machine, and thence downwardly to a counterweight 47 at theopposite extremity of the chain.

The chain 40 may be one continuous length or it may comprise two pieces,each secured by clips 48 and fastening screws 49 to a traveling workholder 50, as best illustrated in FIG. 7. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and8, the traveling work holder 50 has secured thereto a pair of workgripping clamps indicated generally as 51, one clamp at each extremityof the traveling work holder.

Secured to the traveling work holder are a plurality of vertical axistapered rollers 52 which are offset relatively one to another and snuglyengage the inclined walls 53 and 54 of a track defined between theupstanding rim 55 of a carrier plate 56 and the contiguous side of anupwardly open channel member 57 secured to the plate. The traveling workholder is also provided with a pair of brackets 58 each supporting ahorizontal axis roller 59 which rides upon the upstanding rim 55 of thecarrier plate 56.

Carried on the cabinet 14 is a support plate 60` which sustains at eachextremity a pair of brackets 61-61, each pair of brackets carrying ashaft 62 therebetween. The link chain sprockets 43 and 44 are journaledfor turning and axial sliding movement one on each of the shafts 62. Thelink chain 40 is directed over the sprocket 43 along the upwardly openchannel member 57 and over the sprocket 44. In order to sustain thecarrier plate 56 and the channel member 57 and also to maintain thesprockets 43 and 44 in alignment with the channel member 57, a two-armedbracket member 63 is fastened to each extremity of the channel member 57(FIGS. 4 and the arms of the bracket member straddling the respectivesprocket and being bifurcated to embrace the shaft 62. Referring toFIGS. 3 and 7, a connecting piece 64 is secured to the sewing machinework clamp 11 and to the upwardly open channel member 57 such that thechannel member 57, the carrier plate 56 secured thereto, the link chainin the channel member, the sprockets 43 and 44, the traveling workholder 50, and the pair of work gripping clamps 51, will move with thesewing machine work clamp in a direction parallel to the axis of thesewing machine main shaft while the buttonhole is being sewn. Anadvantage of this construction is that a work fabric held in the Workgripping clamps 51 need not be released during the entire buttonholesewing operation so that no spacing errors can arise because of shiftingof the work relatively to the work gripping clamps. The idler sprockets41 and 46, however, are secured on a cross brace 65 of the cabinet 14and must be fixed axially so as to remain in alignment with the point ofconnection of the chain 40 with the carriage 15. It will be understoodthat this applies to both idler-sprockets 41 and 46 since the chainconnection with the carriage and the -counterweight 47 may be reversedto drive the traveling work holder 50 in either direction so that eithermens or womens Wear may be accommodated no matter whether they button tothe left or the right.

Since, therefore, the idler sprockets 41 and 46 are fixed againstaxialmovement and the sprockets 43 and 44 shift axially with the work, thechain 40 will tend to shift along the upwardly open channel member 57when the sprockets 43 and 44 are shifted axially. The effective lengthof the chain will shorten as the sprockets move axially outwardly andwill lengthen as the sprockets return. In the absence of anycompensation for endwise shifting of the chain, the indexing mechanismand the sewing machine work clamp would conflict during the sewing of abuttonhole and the work would either tear, slip relatively to the sewingmachine work clamp resulting in distorted buttonholes, or sliprelatively to the indexing mechanism resulting in improper spacing. Tocompensate for this endwise movement of the chain 40, the sprocketWheels 42 and 45, one of the group of three at each side of thestitching point, are automatically adjustable to offset the chainmovement. Since the compensating mechanism is similar at each side, onlythat associated with the sprocket 42 will be described in detail.

As will be seen in FIG. 4, the sprocket wheel 42 is journaled in onelimb 70 of a bell crank lever fulcrumed at 71 in a bracket 72 fast onthe support plate 60. The other limb 73 of the bell crank is bifurcatedand embraces a rod 74 carried by the upwardly open channel member. Therod 74 is disposed substantially horizontally and, as illustrated inFIG. 3, is inclined relatively to the direction of movement of thesewing machine work clamp. The inclined rod 74, when moved with thetraveling work holder and the work, will impart turning movement to thebell crank lever 70, 73 thus shifting the axis of the `sprocket 42toward or away from the axis of the sprocket 43 to compensate for theeffects of axial shifting of the sprocket 43. The inclination of the rod'74 will determine the degree of compensation which is preferably madeto cancel out completely the endwise shifting motion of the chain 40 inthe channel member 57.

Supported on angle brackets on the front of the cabinet 14 is a sheetmetal top cover 81 which, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, extendsover the traveling work holder 50 and the rollers 52 and 59 to protect agarment fabric from interference therewith. Carried on the anglebrackets S0 in front of the top cover is an upwardly open trough 82 intowhich each garment or fabric section falls at the completion of theoperation of the unit.

The work gripping clamps 51 project from beneath the top cover andoverlie, at each side of the sewing machine, sheet metal trays 83. Thetrays 83 are supported by brackets 84 from the sunnort plate 60.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 8 and 9, the work gripping clamps 51each comprise an arm 90 of substantially rigid material bent downwardlysubstantially to the level of the top of the sewing machine worksupporting plate. The arm at the free extremity is formed with a portion91 bent upwardly and turned back upon itself and terminating in anenlarged boss 92 in which is pivoted an opening and closing lever 93having an upstanding arm `formed with a finger grip 94 and a dependingcam arm 95. Fastened, as by a screw 96, on the upturned portion 91 ofthe work gripping arm is a U-shaped flexible member 97 slotted, as at98, to accommodate the finger grip portion 94 of the gripper closinglever 93 and underlying the cam arm 95 of the lever 93. When the gripperclosing lever 93 is turned toward the front of the unit, as illustratedin FIG. 9, the cam arm 95 will depress the flexible member 97 and clampa work fabric between the flexible member 97 and the arm 90 of the workgripper. In the position illustrated in FIG. 9, the cam arm 95 is turnedto the left of the pivotal connection of the lever 93 with the enlargedboss 92. On a snap-over-center principle, therefore, the lever 93 willbe locked in the position illustrated in FIG. 9 in which work is clampedtherein. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, work gripper opening members 100are secured to the trays 83 and formed with Wedge-shaped freeextremities 101 disposed to operate beneath `the gripper closing levers93 to cam the ,leversup beyond the i i the spring members 91 will returnthe gripper closing levers to the completely opened position illustrated1n FIG. 8.

The work gripping clamps in FIGS. and 3 are illustrated in the startingposition 'ready to accommodate a fabric panel such as a shirt. from, 0fthe like i0. Wiiih buttonholes are to. be applied .A11 edge guide 1012may be secured te the lead. grimms Clamp s1 properly t0 Orient thegaimentaaael. intheiamns- Affe-fthe ORSI' ator has inserted the gagrmentpanel into the clamps and closed the cleans by turning the Riesigelevffs .i9 l1?? position illustrated in El@ ,9., gperiifzi gf the mit frijay be started by pressing the button 30. Alternate operation of thesewing machine and of the work indexing mechanism reaches apredetermined point, that is, until a predetermined number of operationshave occurred at which time operation of the unit ceases and thetraveling work holder together with the work gripping clamps will bereturned to the starting position. The work gripper opening members 100are preferably disposed so as to open the work grippers on the finalmovement of the traveling work holder so that the fabric being stitchedwill be released from the gripper before the grippers are returned tostarting position and the completed work will fall into the trough 82.The work grippers will thus be empty upon return to starting positionand ready for the insertion of the next fabric panel.

Having thus described the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis:

l. In a sewing unit having a sewing machine, clamp means associated withsaid sewing machine for engaging and shifting a work fabric during thesewing operation, a lwork indexing means for shifting a work fabricbetween successive sewing operations, and automatic means foralternately operating said sewing machine and said work indexing means,said work indexing means including a exible conveyor, a plurality ofWheels disposed on substantially parallel axes for supporting saidflexible conveyor, guide means for directing said llexible conveyor in alineal path relatively to said sewing machine, means operativelyconnecting said conveyor guide means with said sewing machine clampmeans for movement of said guide means with said clamp means, and meansresponsive to movement of said guide means for changing the axis spacingof at least one pair of said conveyor supporting wheels. v

2. In a sewing unit having a sewing machine, work clamp means associatedwith said sewing machine for engaging and shifting a work fabriclengthwise of the sewing machine during the sewing operation, a workindexing means for shifting a work fabric laterally across said sewingmachine between successive sewing operations, said work indexing meansincluding a flexible conveyor, guide means for directing said exibleconveyor in a lineal path laterally across said sewing machine, meansoperative connecting said guide means to said sewing machine work clampmeans for movement therewith lengthwise of said sewing machine, aplurality of wheels disposed on substantially parallel axes forsupporting said llexible conveyor, at least one of said Wheels beingshiftable axially with said guide means, at least one of said wheelsbeing lixed axially, and means responsive to movement of said guidemeans with said sewing machine work clamp for changing the axial spacingof at least one pair of said wheels.

3. In a sewing unit having a sewing machine, work clamp means associatedwith said sewing machine for engaging and shifting a work -fabriclengthwise of the sewing machine during the sewing operation, a workindexing means for shifting a work fabric laterally across said sewingmachine between successive sewing operations, said work indexing meansincluding a pair of supporting shafts disposed substantially parallel tothe direction of shifting movement of said sewing machinesnap-over-center point ifrom which Work clamps means, a carrier memberslidably supported on said shaft for bodily movement axially thereon,means operatively connecting said sewing machine work clamp with saidcarrier member, a traveling work holder, means slidably supportingsaidwork holder on said carrier memberber for movement laterally 'acrossthe sewing machine, work gripping means carried on said work holder, aflexible conveyor secured to said work holder, guide means for saidflexible conveyor associated with said carrier member, a plurality ofparallel axes, wheels for supporting said flexible conveyor, one pair ofsaid wheels being axially shiftable one on each of said supportingshafts, means on saidl carrier member for constraining 'said wheels formovementaxially of said supporting shafts with said carrier member,another pair of said wheels being xed against axial movement andassociated one with each of said pair of axially shiftable wheels, andmeans responsive to movement of said carrier member for changing theaxial spacing of at least two of said plurality of parallel axis wheels.

4. In a sewing unit having a sewing machine, work clamp means associatedwith said sewing machine for engaging and shifting a work fabriclengthwise of the sewing machine during the sewing operation, a workindexing means for shifting the work fabric laterally across said sewingmachine between successive sewing operations, said work indexing meansincluding a exible belt comprising a series of pivotally connectedlinks, guide means for directing said link-belt in a lineal pathlaterally across said sewing machine, means operatively connecting saidguide means to said sewing machine work clamp for movement lengthwise ofsaid sewing machine, a plurality of sprockets disposed on substantiallyparallel axes and in mesh with said link-belt, at least one of saidsprockets being shiftable axially with said guide means, at least one ofsaid sprockets being fixed axially, and means responsive to movement ofsaid guide means with said sewing machine work clamp means for changingthe axes spacing of at least one pair of said sprockets.

5. A sewing unit as set forth in claim l in which the means for changingthe axial spacing of at least one pair of said wheels comprises a lever,means defining a xed fulcrum for said lever with respect to the sewingunit, means for journaling one of said pair of wheels of which the axialspacing is to be changed in one arm of said lever, interengaging cam andfollower means carried on the other arm of said lever and on said guidemeans for turning said lever about said fulcrum in response to movementsof said guide means.

6. A sewing unit as set forth in claim 2 in which at each side of saidcarrier member are disposed three wheels, that is, one of said pair ofwheels shiftably axially with said carrier member, one of said pair ofwheels fixed against axial movement, and one of a third pair of wheelsdisposed to provide a sinuous path for the flexible conveyor about saidthree wheels, a pair of levers disposed one at each side of said carriermember, means pivotally supporting said levers on axes parallel to theaxes of said three pair of wheels, and means responsive to movement ofsaid carrier member for turning said levers to change the length of thesinuous path of said flexible conveyor.

7. In a sewing unit having a sewing machine, clamp means associated withsaid sewing machine for engaging and shifting a work fabric during thesewing operation, a work indexing means for shifting a work fabricbetween successive sewing operations, and automatic means foralternately operating said sewing machine and said work indexing means,said work indexing means including a llexible belt comprising a seriesof pivotally connected links, a plurality of sprocket wheels disposed onsubstantially parallel axes and in mesh with said link-belt, guide meansfor directing said link-belt in lineal path relatively to said sewingmachine between two adjacent sprocket wheels, means operativelyconnecting said guide means '7 with said sewing machine clamp means formovement of said guide means with said clamp means, a bell crank leverpivoted in said sewing machine, one of said plurality of sprocket wheelsbeing journaled inone arm of said bell crank lever, means defining apivotal axis for turning of said bell crank substantially parallel tothe axes of said sprocket wheels, a rod carried by said guide means anddisposed at an acute angle to the axes of said sprocket wheels, and theother arm of said bell crank lever being bifurcated to embrace the rodcarried by the guide means so as to effect turning movement of said bellcrank lever upon movement of said guide means with said sewing machineclamp means, the sprocket wheel journaled in said bell crank lever beingshiftable in response to movement of said guide means to change thelength of the link-belt path.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,243,679 Allen Oct. 23, 1917 1,691,919 Carroll Nov. 20, 1928 2,467,493Pabich Apr. 19, 1949 2,546,527 Smyth Mar. 27, 1951 2,728,238 PaascheDec. 27, 1955 2,899,919 Myska Aug. 18, 1959 2,944,496 Gardner July 12,1960

